Part 1:
“Women, Do We Matter?”

—- What Is a Woman Worth? ——

To the Women Who Love Jesus and Long to Serve Him Faithfully

“If you ask me for the most common diagnosis among the people I treat, I wouldn’t say depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, although these conditions are all too common among those I’ve known, loved, and guided to freedom.

No, I would say hunger.

We are hungry.

We are hungry for approval, attention, affection. We are hungry for the freedom to embrace life and to really know and be ourselves.”

— Dr. Edith Eva Eger, The Choice: Embrace the Possible

• Yesterday morning, I wrote a public letter to the Southern Baptist Convention, SBC pastors, leaders, and church members.
  I shared my heart about some of the dissonance I experienced while reading about the SBC’s recent decision regarding women serving as pastors or holding authority over men in the church. I acknowledged that I do not have all of the details. I stated that ultimately I support the decision, but was saddened by a lack of compassion, acknowledgement of women’s value, and how Jesus modeled the importance of women in ministry. In the post, I shared simply shared my heart. It was a call to the leaders of the SBC to stand for Biblical principles, but to be sure to do so with the love and grace intended in God’s word. While acknowledging the vital role of women within the church.

What I did not expect was for that letter to resonate with so many people. Wow!

I did not expect the thousands of views. I did not expect the personal messages from women thanking me for speaking up and bringing attention to an issue many of us have experienced within our church communities. I did not expect to hear personal stories from women who shared many of the same feelings and experiences but perhaps did not feel brave enough to voice them publicly.

Since yesterday, I have read many comments and messages from women who love Jesus deeply.
Women who have faithfully served in the Southern Baptist Church for decades, one lady states she’s been in the Southern Baptist Church for almost 70 years.

I heard from…

Women who teach children.
Women who mentor young believers.
Women who disciple other women.
Women who lead ministries.
Women who prepare meals.
Women who pray faithfully for pastors, church leaders, church members, and their communities.
Women who serve quietly behind the scenes.
Women who comfort the hurting.
Women who carry burdens for their churches that most people never see.

These women are the unsung heroes of the Church.

Thank you to the women who shared your heart with me. As I read your stories, one thought kept coming to mind:

Women want to have a purpose.
Women want to be seen.
Women want to be valued.
Women want to be respected.
Women want to know they matter.

Yes, there are women who desire to preach from the pulpit. But most women simply want to know that they matter. They want to know that they have purpose. They want to know that their gifts are welcomed in God’s Kingdom and that their contributions are valued. They want to know there is a place for them in God’s Kingdom and that the gifts God has given them matter.

Truthfully, this is not just a woman’s desire. It is a deeply human desire.
Every person longs to be valued, respected, appreciated, and to belong. Every believer should desire to use their God-given gifts to serve within their church home and within their community.

Ladies, as I read your messages, I realized something profound…

Not a single woman wrote to me demanding to stand in a pulpit.
Not a single woman wrote to me about desiring high leadership positions in the church.

Most were writing to me about something much deeper.

They were writing to share their pain, hurt, and their desire to know that their efforts for God’s Kingdom matter.
They wanted to know that the years of serving, praying, teaching, loving, sacrificing, encouraging, mentoring, and carrying others were seen by both God and His people.

Beneath so many of the messages seemed to be the same question:

“Do I Matter?”

Stay tuned for part 2. “Do We Matter?”

Blessings, Crystal Ridlon, LPC